Napoli claim Eduardo Vargas is considering an offer from the Arabian Gulf League alongside other proposals from clubs in England and Spain.
The Chilean forward, a member of his national team's victorious Copa America squad, is set for a transfer away from the Italian Serie A side, with Al Ahli one possible destination.
The Dubai club are potentially in the market for two more foreign players, as they seek more attacking firepower for dual commitments next season domestically and in the Asian Champions League.
Vargas, 25, has been heavily linked with Ahli these past few weeks, although the club have yet to confirm if he is of interest. Should Vargas move to the UAE, the 2013/14 champions appear the most obvious destination, despite reports this week suggesting Al Ain had entered the bidding.
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The Garden City side, the league champions, have already completed their foreign contingent for next season following the signings this month of Ryan Babel, Fellipe Bastos and Emmanuel Emenike. Lee Myung-joo, the South Korean midfielder, is the only expatriate retained from the 2014/15 campaign.
Vargas’s name has previously been put forward to Al Ain, but they declined the opportunity to pursue the deal. With the player’s price tag believed to be between €10 million (Dh40m) and €12m, Al Jazira would seem the only other likely suitor, but Vargas is not on their list of targets to fill their one remaining foreign slot.
On Tuesday, Napoli’s sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli, confirmed an Emirati club were in the running.
“We deal with many offers for Eduardo Vargas,” Giuntoli told Chile’s El Mercurio. “The UAE offer is very good for the club, but we’re also handling an offer from Spain. I cannot say the club, but they want to buy the player.
“We have talked to Vargas and he is analysing the proposals to see which is best for him. Apart from Spain, there is also an offer from England.”
Vargas has struggled to make an impact at Napoli since joining in 2012. Subsequently, he was loaned to several clubs, most recently spending last season in the English Premier League with Queens Park Rangers.
Vargas’s agent denied this month that his client was in negotiations with Arsenal.
Vargas’s stock is again high after he performed well at the Copa America, finding the net four times to finish the tournament as joint-top scorer. If he transfers to Ahli he would presumably take Oussama Assaidi’s place in the squad.
Ahli’s foreign roster comprises Assaidi, Ciel, Everton Ribeiro and Kwon Hyung-won, with only the latter two guaranteed for next season.
Ahli still require a centre-forward having last month failed in their bid to recruit Luiz Adriano. They had an offer accepted by Shakhtar Donetsk, but the Brazilian chose to move to AC Milan instead.
Coach Cosmin Olaroiu said last week that Ahli were negotiating with several clubs but would not be rushed into a deal.
Ahli begin their 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League season next month at home to Fujairah before quickly travelling to Naft Tehran for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on August 26.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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